---
title: "Ford Patent Would Let You Steer Your Car by Tilting Your Phone"
description: "A new Ford patent describes a control system that would let a driver steer a car by tilting or swiping his or her smartphone. "
date: "2018-10-09"
modified: "2018-10-09"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ford-patent-car-phone"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
tags:
  - "autonomous car"
  - "ford"
  - "steering wheel"
  - "the digest"
---

# Ford Patent Would Let You Steer Your Car by Tilting Your Phone

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ford-self-driving.png>)

## Steer Clear

We've known [since January](<https://www.autoblog.com/2018/10/07/ford-patent-cellphone-steering-autonomous-car/>) that the Ford Motor Company was developing an autonomous car with no steering wheel or gas pedal. Now we've got a better picture of what they had in mind — Ford just had [a patent](<http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=10081387&IDKey=F3109489E159&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND>) approved for a system that would let a driver steer a car by tilting or swiping their smartphone.

## Swipe Left

[*CarBuzz*](<https://carbuzz.com/news/ford-patents-video-game-steering-for-autonomous-cars>) first spotted the patent. As they pointed out, there are already smartphone games that use tilting for a control scheme — and they aren't terribly accurate.

*CarBuzz* predicts the automotive giant would be "crucified" for the clunky controls. But it's not yet clear that the tech *will* ever find its way into the real world — 95 percent of patents don't get licensed, [according to *WIRED*](<https://www.wired.com/2015/01/fixing-broken-patent-system/>).

Still, the patent does address a key question about the future of autonomous cars with no steering wheels: How will riders control the vehicles if they're ever forced to take over?

**READ MORE:** [Ford Patents Video Game Steering For Autonomous Cars](<https://www.autoblog.com/2018/10/07/ford-patent-cellphone-steering-autonomous-car/>) \[*CarBuzz*\]

***More on ethical AI: [The US Government Wants to Allow Fully Autonomous Vehicles on US Roads](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-government-fully-autonomous-vehicles>)***

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)